LOGINZoya’s POVTwo weeks had passed, dad’s doctor said he could be discharged.Today was his last day in the hospital, we had finalized everything and signed every paper. The antiseptic smell of the ward that had become so familiar over these past weeks clung to my clothes like a second skin, and I found myself already dreading how much I would miss the steady beep of his heart monitor the sound that had reassured me every single night that he was still here.“This wheelchair was a gift from Vito?” Vittoria asked from the corner, running her fingers along the sleek chrome handles.I had called her and we talked, she apologized, and I did too for overreacting. She promised never to keep anything from me again, no matter what, and honestly, our relationship had grown stronger than it ever was before.“Yes,” I replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.Vito had been such a blessing and a gentleman. He had kept his promise to me, he hired a nurse for dad and a nanny for Emi
**Zoya's POV**After Vito dropped me off, he told me to get ready. As soon as my dad woke up, I would be moving into his place. He’d already arranged for a private nurse to care for my father and a nanny for Emilia.“Are we going to see Grandpa?” Emilia asked from the backseat, her small voice bright with anticipation.“Yes, we are,” I replied, offering her a reassuring smile in the rearview mirror.“Okay… Can Daddy come with us?” She blinked up at me with those wide, innocent eyes that always tugged at my heart.I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. *Why does she keep asking about Benito? What has he been telling her?* Ever since she came back from spending time with him, she’d been gently pushing me toward her father.I’ll have to have a word with Benito. Using our daughter to get to me is a hard no.“Your daddy is probably busy, sweetheart. We shouldn’t disturb him,” I said softly.I pulled into the hospital parking lot, the tires crunching over loose gravel. After turn
**Zoya's POV**After Vito dropped me off, he told me to get ready. As soon as my dad woke up, I would be moving into his place. He’d already arranged for a private nurse to care for my father and a nanny for Emilia.“Are we going to see Grandpa?” Emilia asked from the backseat, her small voice bright with anticipation.“Yes, we are,” I replied, offering her a reassuring smile in the rearview mirror.“Okay… Can Daddy come with us?” She blinked up at me with those wide, innocent eyes that always tugged at my heart.I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. *Why does she keep asking about Benito? What has he been telling her?* Ever since she came back from spending time with him, she’d been gently pushing me toward her father.I’ll have to have a word with Benito. Using our daughter to get to me is a hard no.“Your daddy is probably busy, sweetheart. We shouldn’t disturb him,” I said softly.I pulled into the hospital parking lot, the tires crunching over loose gravel. After turn
Benito’s POVI had just dropped Vera off at her place, even though she had insisted on coming back with me.Now I’m in my room, pacing back and forth across the polished floor, the faint creak beneath my steps grating on my nerves. My mind won’t settle. It keeps spinning, circling the same problem, what to do now, what my next move should be.This isn’t just about marrying Zoya to secure the position I want. No. It’s deeper than that. This is about my stepbrother taking her away from me.After everything I told him… after I trusted him with my plans, plans to make Zoya mine but he beat me to it. Smiled in my face, pretended to be on my side, and then stole her right out from under me.My jaw tightens at the thought.What can I do to make Zoya leave him?Threaten to sue for custody? Tell her that if she doesn’t leave Vito, I’ll take Emilia away?I exhale sharply, dragging a hand through my hair.No, that won’t work, not anymore, she has Vito backing her now, I would lose badly.But E
**Zoya's POV**Vito’s hand rested possessively on the small of my back as we walked back into the hospital. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin fabric of my shirt, sending unwelcome sparks dancing across my skin. I hated how my body reacted to him, so traitorously while my mind screamed to pull away. My heart hammered against my ribs, a chaotic rhythm of worry for my dad and something far more dangerous: the man beside me.We stopped in front of the same double glass doors. Vito leaned forward slightly, his broad chest brushing my shoulder, and nodded to the nurse stationed nearby. Without a word, she pressed a button. The doors hissed open just enough for a clearer view inside.“There,” Vito murmured, his voice low and rough against my ear. “Better?”I pressed closer to the glass, my breath fogging the cool surface. My dad lay motionless in the bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and IV lines. Tubes snaked across his chest, and his face looked pale, almost fragile u
**Zoya's POV**Benito stood rooted to the spot where I had left him, his feet refusing to carry him forward or backward. His intense gaze bored into the back of my head like a burning laser while I stared fixedly at the ER doors, willing them to open.Vera was also glaring at me, her sharp eyes drilling holes into my skin with pure hostility.This was the kind of unwanted attention I desperately didn’t want, but I chose to ignore them both. I was done talking to either of them.After what felt like an eternity, Benito finally walked back to his girlfriend. Yet even after Vera grumbled loudly that she wanted to leave, Benito made no effort to move. He stayed right there, stubborn and silent.Finally, the ER doors swung open with a soft whoosh, and the doctor stepped out. Beads of sweat streaked down his tired face, glistening under the harsh hospital lights. I jumped up quickly and rushed toward him, almost crashing into his chest.“How is my dad? Was the surgery a success? Is he g







